The crisis rocking the Ondo State House of Assembly has degenerated as the majority of lawmakers has issued a Sunday ultimatum to the Speaker, Olamide Oladiji, to resign from office or risk impeachment.
Already, 21 out of the 26 members of the House have signed an impeachment notice against the Speaker over alleged financial misconduct.
The Speaker is being accused of diverting N44m from funds allocated for the reordering of the budget of the Ondo State Oil-Producing Areas Development Commission.
Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Olatunji Fabiyi, said on Wednesday that the lawmakers had given the Speaker a few more days to resign, failing which he would be impeached at the next plenary sitting.
Fabiyi stressed that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had intervened in the matter but had allowed the lawmakers to carry out their legislative duties.
According to him, “We have resolved that Mr Speaker should go. But in the wisdom of the leadership of the House, we felt we should meet with Mr Governor.
“And we have taken the resolution of the members to Mr Governor. Because the one we did before, they were castigating us, saying somebody was sponsoring us.
“So, to avoid that, the leadership of the House went to Mr Governor to tell him that this one is not about him. This is what Mr Speaker has done, and we don’t want him anymore. He is the one leading us, and we don’t want him to lead us again.
“Twenty-one members have signed for his removal. But in the wisdom of the leadership of the House, not to make it appear as if we are striking too quickly, we went to Mr Governor.
“Mr Governor requested some time. On this issue, we don’t have any problem with Mr Governor. It is about the OSOPADEC budget. A resolution was written in the name of members without our knowledge. It was stated that members had sat down and agreed to it, and that it was our resolution, which it was not.
“It is a criminal offence. You cannot shave our heads behind our backs. That is what we are fighting for.
“So, if somebody is protecting him, it means that person is aiding and abetting him. We are giving him till Sunday. If he fails to resign, we will remove him.”
The Assembly’s spokesman disclosed that the lawmakers would reconvene at the next plenary sitting to decide the Speaker’s fate.
One of the members of the House, who spoke on condition of anonymity, on Monday, alleged that the Speaker and his deputy had diverted N44m meant for the reordering of the budget of OSOPADEC.
He also alleged that the Speaker reordered the OSOPADEC budget without carrying other members along.
According to the lawmaker, “Yes, we are removing him. We just want him to resign honourably and, if he fails to do so, we will impeach him on the floor of the House. We have initiated an impeachment notice, and 21 members have already signed.
“We started the process about three weeks ago, but the governor has been talking to us, which is why we delayed it. But now, the governor has advised him to resign when we met with him. So, we are removing him.”
When contacted by telephone, the embattled Speaker denied the allegations.
He claimed not to be aware of any impeachment notice issued for his removal.
